Louis Vuitton AW13

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Marc Jacobs is a complete and utter genius. Just when we thought underwear as outerwear would be forever condemned WAGS wardrobes and 90′s tribute bands, he goes and gives it a fash-over. Remember when Kate Moss strutted her bondage clad stuff on the Louis Vuitton catwalk for AW12? Her appearance illicited widespread gasps of “ohmigod how is she FORTY?” and, combined with Jacobs’ seductively stylish designs, instantly made S&M chic again (or possibly for the first time?). Well, this season Miss Moss has joined Monsieur Marc in reviving the naughty negligee. You know me, my sartorial choices tend towards the demure/preppy/terminally unsexy but after watching this show (12 times) on Style.com I’ve suddenly found myself craving La Perla.

The other week I was lucky enough to get up close and personal with the collection at the Louis Vuitton AW13 press day and can confirm that it’s even more mouthwateringly delectable in person. After spending the best part of an hour ogling the collection I came to the conclusion that seeing and stroking such super soft pelts and luxer-than-luxe silks could captivate even the biggest fashion-fobes out there. Frankly, anyone who isn’t rendered weak at the knees by a hand stitched Ostrich feather handbag has something very wrong with them. And let’s not forget those negligees… In softest brushed velvet trimmed with cobweb fine lace and adorned with embroidered clusters of feathers, should I ever be lucky enough to own one I’d be sooner display it on a plinth in my sitting room than wear it to sleep in.

Whether or not fashion can or should be considered “art” is such a huge point of contention that I wont even go there but whatever your view on it, the sheer level of skill that goes in to creating garments such as these is undeniably awe inspiring. Sequin embellished tweeds came trimmed in glossy pelts, each fibre meticulously crafted by specialised seamstresses in the Louis Vuitton atelier. I’ve always felt that it’s the combination of the house’s heritage and Marc Jacob’s inherently modern style that makes Louis Vuitton collections so compelling. This fusion of time tested techniques and innovative design was epitomised by one coat in particular which married mannish tartan tailoring with opulent feather trim, strange in theory yet oh-so-brilliant on the Louis Vuitton catwalk. Indeed, the juxtposition of fabulously feminine, boudoir ready ensembles with androgynous outerwear was central to this collection and made for the kind of irreverent elegance that fashion fantasies are fuelled by.

For those of you who haven’t seen the AW13 show yet, I urge you to stop whatever you’re doing and watch it immediately! Just to make it extra easy, here you go…

Love Ella. X

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Ella Catliff in Fashion 1 Comment

SS13 Handbag Hot List: Designer Edit

Now this post has been a while in the making, three months to be exact. I thought it might be slightly premature to start thinking about new season styles when they first started arriving back in January but by late February/early March – AKA the official start of Spring/Summer – fashion week madness had taken over and spending an hour or so writing about handbags just wasn’t on the cards. While SS13 doesn’t look like it’s planning on making an appearence in London anytime soon (bitter, moi?) if there’s one area of our wardrobe we can keep in time with the fashion calendar without risking hypothermia it’s our accessories. So, without further ado, here’s my pick of this season’s hottest handbags…

Mulberry Willow Tote in Mint Classic Calf, £1500, click here to buy

It’s mint green, it’s Mulberry, how could I NOT be in love with this bag!? To be honest I’m more than mildly obsessed with their entire SS13 collection thanks to Emma Hill’s plentiful application of mint green, broderie anglaise and some particularly inspired gecko print. This bag ticks every box for me. So delectable I want to swallow it whole and it’s roomy enough to fit camera, iPad, magazines and various British summer essentials (i.e umbrella, suncream, sunglasses and a scarf).

3.1 Phillip Lim Blush Snakeskin Mini Pashli Satchel, £755, click here to buy

I don’t need to tell you my feelings about the 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli satchel. In a recent interview I may have admitted that one of my life ambitions is to own one in every colour. Despite that statement making me sound like an idiot, I stand by it. This understatedly luxe blush snakeskin mini version has sole out practically everywhere, ergo I now want it even more.

Marni Polkdot Bags. Left £725, Right £660 click here to buy

Marni is one of the few brands that simultaneously manages to do tongue-in-cheek quirk and pared down elegance. I’m not sure quite how this is even possible but Consuela Castiglioni manages it with a canny combination of cleaner than clean lines and playful polkadots… I’m sold.

Louis Vuitton Alma BB Monogram Bag, £900, click here to buy

Generally speaking, I’m a big bag kinda girl. Or at least I thought I was until Louis Vuitton released their “mini” collection. It’s pink, it’s shiny, it’s adorable beyond belief and I want it a LOT.

Burberry Blaze Bag in Metallic Snakeskin & Vinyl, £1795, click here to buy

One of Burberry’s most fantastic and no doubt highly profitable qualities is the inherent practicality of their products. Then again, it’s also a high fashion brand and fashion folk have a well known weakness for things that are deeply impractical and unashamedly in-your-face. This bag is both and that’s precisely why I love it. Possibly not as useful as a trusy trench coat but my, isn’t it shiny?

Sophie Hulme Black Leather Satchel, £500, click here to buy

As those of you who haven’t spent the past few seasons living under a rock (or somewhere without deparment stores on a internet connection) will definitely know, Sophe Hulme is one of the hottest young design talents in London right now. Sophie scooped up the Accessory Designer of the Year prize at the British Fashion Awards last autumn and her latest array of utilitarian yet playful bags are surely proof that the best is yet to come.

Anya Hindmarch Maxi Zip Satchel in Bluebell, £795, click here to buy

Rarely do I not crave pretty much everything Anya Hindmarch designs and this seasons Pomp and Pleasure collection was no exception. I absolutely adored suing their Maxi Zip satchel in bluebell during Fashion Week last month and very nearly cried when I had to return it to its rightful owners. Friends and family if you’re reading, my birthday is June 19th…

Smythson Eliot Large Tote, £1395, click here to buy

Oh Smythson, you do know how to tempt me. Not only does the Brit brand deliver most exquisite (and unfeasibly expensive) stationary, over the past couple of seasons they’ve seriously upped their handbag offering. Case in point, the elegant Eliot tote which currently features highly on my wish list.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Burg Boxer Medium Zipped Bag, £375, click here to buy

My first EVER designer handbag was from Marc by Marc Jacobs and I’ve used it pretty consitently since I got it for my 19th birthday almost 3 years ago now. I think it’s safe to say that Marc is a genius and everything he touches, including the latest accessories for his mainline’s super sweet little sister brand, turn to sartorial gold.

Miu Miu Craquele Tote, £870, click here to buy

Given my current state of ~~largely~~ entirely self inflicted brokeness the likelihood of me ever owning a Miu Miu handbag (or any of the bags on this list for that matter) grows slimmer by the day. Obviously that doesn’t stop me coveting their girlishly playful yet exquisitely chic styles.

Personally I can’t play favourites with these beautiful bags. I want, no I NEED them all! Which one would you pick?

Love Ella. X

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Ella Catliff in Shopping 3 Comments

LPA Styles It: Louis Vuitton Foulards D’ Artistes

I definitely don’t need to tell you how I feel about fash brand x artist collaborations, especially when said collaboration involves Louis Vuitton. Having obsessed over the Yayoi Kusama collection all summer (polkadots on EVERYTHING? Genius!) I was extremely excited when a press release arrived in my inbox announcing their latest project, Foulards D’Artistes. Anyone who accuses Louis Vuitton of cashing in by enlisting major art world names to design for them should know that in fact, the brand has been at it since the 19th century. Plus not all the artists they work with are internationally renowned like Kusama. For SS13 they’ve taken a risk on three emerging street artists but it’s certainly paid off. Aiko, Retna and Os Geméos were invited to re-interpret Louis Vuitton’s iconic scarves using their own unique artistic styles. Personally I think the results are on par with that leopard print number by Stephen Sprouse. With something as exquisite as these scarves, it seems a shame just to paraphrase the press release so when the lovely folk at Louis Vuitton asked if I’d like to style them myself the obvious response was “hell yes!” Plus they’re not going to be in the shops for a little while yet and I was dying to see them up close.

I had planned on having a major saturday afternoon dressing up session with the scarves but, unsurprisingly, a magazine called them in leaving me with just a couple of hours to get them styled and shot. So I dragged my long-suffering boyfriend out of bed (to be fair it was almost midday) to take some photographs… Et voila!

The SCRIPT stole by RETNA

Louis Vuitton

As anyone in London will be well aware, it’s absolutely FREEZING at the moment. Few things could entice me outside without multiple layers but I’ll happily risk pneumonia for Louis Vuitton. I absolutely adore this scarf, it’s the perfect trans-seasonal cover up. You all know my penchant for colour coordination so seeing I couldn’t resist dressing in red, cream and blue. This exactly how I’d wear the RETNA stole for meetings in ~~my dreams~~ early Spring.

The Giant Four Seasons Silk Square by Aiko

Louis Vuitton

Regardles of whether you’re a “scarf person” (FYI I am, big time) you’ll have to agree that this particular number is awesome. It’s bold, brash and clashing in a way that shouldn’t work but does oh-so-brilliantly. I ummed and ahhhd for ages about what to wear it with (while the boyf sulked in the kitchen) and in the end I decided the only way would be to go monochrome and let the scarf do the talking. And then obviously I had to show off the whole, beautiful thing… While pulling a silly face.

The Mosaic Silk Square by Os Geméos

louis vuitton

Louis Vuitton

Last but not least was this snazzy micro-moon mosaic silk scarf. By this point I was so cold I genuinely thought my face might fall off and decided to wear something slightly more weather appropriate. While I did admittedly shove the outfit I’d been wearing that morning back on out of desperation I think it works really well with the scarf. Its bold print adds a certain something to an otherwise fairly “meh” ensemble.

What do you think of Louis Vuitton Foulards D’Artistes and of course, how I styled them?

Love Ella. X

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Ella Catliff in Fashion 5 Comments

Unexpected Trend: Trouser Suits AW12

While the gothic luxe trend may not exactly be a shocker for Autumn/Winter, I challenge anyone to claim that they seriously expected to see trouser suits returning to the fashion fore during their lifetime. I don’t know about you, but until recently the phrase “trouser suit” conjured up of ill-fitting nylon, sloppy tailoring and sludgy greys. Well, after spending God know how many seasons banished to bargain bins and middle management, they’re back on the sartorial menu.

Posted on October 5, 2012 by Ella Catliff in Fashion Leave a comment

‘Spot the Difference’ with Louis Vuitton & Kusama

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, London’s the place to be this Summer. We had the Diamond Jubilee, the Olympics not to mention fantastic exhibitons, plays and parties galore. And now to top it all off, Louis Vuitton and Yayoi Kusama are taking over Selfridges! In just a few short weeks, Selfridges’ Wonder Room will be transformed into a Louis Vuitton X Kusama concept store and packed full of their eye-popping confections. To celebrate this fashion-meets-art-meets-shopping stroke of genious, they’ve created two short films starring blogger Bip Ling and entitled, you’ve guessed it, ‘spot the difference’. On top of being super cute the films are also part of a rather clever competition. If you, I, or anyone else manages to ‘spot’ one of the five differences between them then we can submit it via twitter for a chance to win a copy of Lewis Caroll’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ illustrated by Yayoi Kusama herself!

To enter the Spot the Difference competition just tweet the difference you’ve spotted to @LouisVuitton_UK with the hashtag #LVKusama. The five winners will be announced, also via twitter (oh the power of social media) on September 12th… Happy spotting!

Love Ella. X

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Ella Catliff in Fashion Leave a comment

Louis Vuitton

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